It was sunny with temps in the mid-40s before rain and snow arrived in the afternoon.

Kate being welcomed.

This wasn’t the Duchess’s first Family Action engagement. She visited a children’s center in November 2017 and learned more about the agency’s work.

Kate laughing as she was introduced to staff today. On the left, Family Action CEO David Holmes.

Mr. Holmes is also on the steering committee for the bigger project Kate is working on, a comprehensive effort to improve care for infants and children. Kensington Palace noted the Duchess is “currently driving a research project to establish what more can be done in (sic) across the UK to give children their best possible start in life.”

Last year, Kate, 37, quietly brought together practitioners and academics from the worlds of neuroscience, mental health, nursing, perinatal care and education to form a new steering group. They have met several times behind the scenes to discuss what can be done to make a positive difference to the lives of children by focusing on their earliest stage of life, from pre-birth to infancy.

Her hope for early intervention to help youngsters has been at the heart of Kate’s work on addiction, mental health and young people’s well-being.

Kate was at Family Action to officially launch FamilyLine, a national service offering help for parents and caregivers via email, texts, or a phone call. In her story for The Telegraph Hannah Furness reports Family Line is “…for anyone struggling with aspects of family life, from parenting and relationship difficulties to mental health and wellbeing.”

Here you see Kate in a coaching session for those responding to Family Line questions.

Family Action says “We are here to provide a listening ear, answer those particular parenting questions or help with guidance around more complex issues. We can also provide longer-term support through regular sessions with our befrienders and counsellors. All via telephone, text message or email for free.”

A quick video from the training session.

The Duchess listened to an expert coaching session for the new FamilyLine, which was focused on perinatal mental health and asked @family_action volunteers about their training. pic.twitter.com/skQ3YIj2Jf

“It’s so hard. You get a lot of support with the baby as a mother particularly in the early days, but after the age of 1 it falls away,” she said during her visit. “After that there isn’t a huge amount — lots of books to read.”

Deidre, from Islington, north London, and her aunt, Dawn Daley, 46, told Kate how Family Action had helped them as they struggled to look after Deidre’s two children who both have a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis.

“She was saying we were brave to be able to speak about our stories and come out and speak about what’s happening with us. She was very compassionate. I was scared – should I curtsy, should I say Ma’am. But from the time she walked in there was this presence and everyone just felt at ease.”

In one of the meetings, the Duchess was positioned by a glass door, creating a mirrored effect in photos.

Kate spent time with very young caregivers and heard about the challenges they face balancing school and care responsibilities. The agency’s young carers services help them cope with the pressures on themselves and their families, to meet other young carers, and focus on their own wellbeing and future, as well as, the members of their family they help care for.

She also watched Family Monsters, a 1:30 video that is part of the Family Monsters Project highlighting “the hidden ‘monsters’ that many families face, such as debt, addiction, lack of time together, relationship issues and mental health issues.”

It’s a great piece, and well worth viewing. CEO David Holmes said that Kate’s “support will encourage many more families to talk about their ‘family monsters’.”

The campaign helps mark the charity’s 150th anniversary. The charity notes it has been “building stronger families since 1869, and today work with over 45,000 families through over 135 community-based services. Thousands more are supported with financial assistance through education and welfare grants programmes.”

As she was leaving Kate was given flowers by 13-year-old Helena, who is a caregiver for her mother and receives support from Family Action programs.

Comments

Question to Admin. Isn’t there a protocol about wearing a coat to a function, I believe you need to keep the coat on at the event. So if do wear a coat to event, it needs to stay on, that is one reason why Kate wears coat dresses or not a coat at all. Please advise. Thank you, I am curious. 😎

Please delete the first one I sent the auto correct, does not work right all the time, I think it has a mind of it’s own.

Hi, and thank you for commenting. There isn’t any guideline or protocol saying one’s coat has to stay on. There have been instances where Kate arrived in a dress and coat and removed the coat. She is known to leave her coat on inside at many functions and events; I believe it is just a matter of her personal preference. A good example is the annual Festival of Remembrance, where the Duchess generally keeps her coat on for the entire event. Here’s an example from the 2017 Festival, you will see other women have removed their coats and are in dresses/suits: https://whatkatewore.com/2017/11/11/kate-catherine-walker-festival-remembrance/ This year Kate wore a dress; we don’t know if she arrived with a coat over it or not. All of this is a long way of saying there is no protocol that a coat can’t be removed. There was a media story about a year ago or so suggesting that it wasn’t proper for a royal to be seen removing an item of clothing, such as a coat. That isn’t the case, but the story blew up and received lots of attention. Hope this is helpful! 🙂

IMHO, this ensemble is a huge win. While I prefer the sleeves and the lack of belt on the model, the revised sleeves and the belt make this dress a solid business choice that looks perfect on the DofC. Attractive, great color, clean lines, appropriate, perfect for royal business. Accessories on point. And once again, she looks so happy and truly engaged and caring.

Love the dress; a very classic look. This reminds me of how I dressed for work in the 1980s. The green is lovely on Kate but as others have mentioned the accessories are not quite right. A warm saddle brown, camel or even cream would have worked well.

I really like this dress, especially with the changes the Duchess made. The flared sleeves, longer length, and undefined waist look a little dowdy on the model. On Kate, with her changes, we have an elegant, professional dress that allows the wearer to shine. I love the button detail on the side of the skirt.
Thank you for the information on the Duchess’s steering group working on early intervention strategies for children and families. Parenting is the toughest job in the world and the early years are so important.

This dress is fine, not exciting but overall a nice professional look that doesn’t go into dowdy territory for me. I’m glad she lost the bell sleeves, they are just so fussy looking. Not a fan of the belt with this dress, it looks odd paired with this dress. I know she’s worn it before, but I can’t remember its details because it’s not included in the post (don’t feel the need to edit the post, she’s worn this belt often enough!).

It also seems like Kate got the shoulders of the dress altered. She is really loving the puffy shoulder look and I wish she’d let it go. It does make the dress look a bit dated which I didn’t notice at first.

I like the dress for the occasion. I like she got rid of the fluted sleeves (they would have been flopping all around as she waved and they would have been distracting/photographed poorly). I love the buttons down the front. And I especially love the color of the dress.

I wish she would have more fun with her shoes. I have a pair of snakeskin stilletos that add some interest and fun to a boring dress/skirt and are the most versitile item in my wardrobe. They add the perfect amount of interest to an otherwise plain outfit. I would love to see her wear a snakeskin or leopard print shoe! Imagine this dress with a fun shoe like that! Oh well. Maybe one day we will see something like that. But I’m not going to hold my breath waiting.

Love the color of the dress, the change to the sleeve style, and the buttons down the front. I think the belt is a good added element, but it needs to be thinner to better match the proportion of the buttons without distracting from it. Take off a 1/4 or 1/2 of the width of the belt and minimize the size of the buckle and we’d have a winner.

First of all, I work in early childhood mental health here in the United States, and I am so happy to see Catherine supporting this cause! In my opinion, we don’t pay enough attention to giving our kiddos a great start in life, and we don’t give families enough support (especially in the US, with our 6-weeks-unpaid maternity leaves, huge health care costs and our massive costs for childcare).

Wearing Beulah, which supports abused women, seems like a very thoughtful choice for this event.

I love this beautiful green dress! I am a fan of Beulah and I love it when she wears one of her “old” brands. I think it looks much better without the bell sleeves, but I wish she’d left off the belt. I think it interferes with the gorgeous waistline, the unique button detail, and the fluid look of the dress. HOWEVER, the belt does make it look very professional, and gives it some shape and structure. I think she nailed this look. Plus her hair and face just look gorgeous- green is a great color on her. She’s glowing, confident and supporting a great cause!

Catherine looks professional today, not over dressed. Green really suites the Duchess and her collection of earrings is wonderful, I always look forward to which pair she wears. Overall polished and elegant. Wonderful cause to promote and Catherine always has a radiant smile.

I’m always fascinated to read that not everyone agrees with me. Lol. I like the dress but miss the fluted sleeve. I wear them all the time to meetings and have never had a problem. Granted I don’t shake hands with nearly as many people has DoC does but have never had a problem.

I think the color is fantastic on her. It really brightens her skin & redirects to her eyes.

Me too! I love the fluted sleeves and wish she’d kept them. Also I’m not sure why she made the shoulder seam more poofy at the sleeve … it seems sleek and flat on the model. But the color, the line, the buttons down the skirt, the accessories, all are lovely. Her hair looks beautiful and her smile and caring win the day.

I saw a photo of her in this dress elsewhere from the waist up and I knew she had it pared with the olive suede pumps. I’ve noted in the past that she mixes different shades of the same color and calls it matching, but I think I would have preferred what someone else suggested – black croc pumps to match the belt. I love this dress and I don’t think it’s dowdy at all. It’s also very much in line with the style of much of what she wears and I think it’s so elegant and professional. I love the length – again very in style and practical and lady like.

I felt the same way. Saw dress, new she was going to try matching. I wish she wouldn’t try the matcha things. She has done it with so many outfits, and it never feels quite right. Black croc shoes to match the belt would have been better, or no belt and black suede shoes, or even a different color could have looked edgy. But trying to math. Shoes and bag and dress just never works for me.

I did love the dress. Great alterations. Nice that she wasn’t in coat that she either had to keep on, or pawn off. Love those earrings too. Of course she still looked beautiful.

I have found that in my personal case (where I only wear heels on special occasions, not as my everyday footwear) that suede is more comfortable in that it doesn’t take as much wear to stretch/break-in the toe box on suede heels as it does leather, especially patent leather which I find to be even stiffer and more constricting than regular leather. The only problem I have with suede though is that I live in an area that tends to get a lot of rain and snow, and given how water can ruin suede so much faster than leather, it limits the occasions I can wear suede footwear.

From my observation in wearing pumps they are more comfortable than other type of shoes and why all the royals wear more suede is because it looks regal and has a warm richer look, they also keep your feet warm in cold weather. I have been wearing pumps for years, they hold your foot better and they are more secure when walking. I do not wear suede shoes in the summer months, they make your feet sweat.

Great engagement. Very happy to see Kate return to this charity and supporting this initiative. I love the idea of a peer supported line for parents and carers.

Great dress and as much as I love the original dress with the fluted sleeves I think the alteration is correct for this type of more serious event. Everything was lowkey today to keep the attention on the charity. I do hope she buys the original design of the dress preferably in the pink as it would be lovely to wear to wear to a slightly dressy engagement like an exhibition visit or a reception.

I think I would have preferred this with black or even nude purse and heels. I’m never overly keen on too much olive as I have always found it quite a drab colour.

It is such a pleasure to see Beulah has not dropped out of Kate’s scope for new purchases and styles. I didn’t realize how long it had been since we had seen one.

I agree with the general consensus here that the sleeve alteration was a positive change for Kate. Hand gestures are an active part of her speaking style, and I can’t imagine the distraction those sleeves would be flopping around each time her hands moved. For someone less animated, the original sleeves would still be nice; for Kate, the more secure styling is a good personalization.

I do so ever like this belt, a solid, strong, bold piece that balances against the softness of the overall look; this may be its best appearance.

I think there’s just enough yellow tone to the green of her dress that the shoes and handbag work – but I’m wondering if the chance to show the Rupert Sanderson Mallory Pebble again wasn’t an opportunity missed.

I really like the Beulah London dress as seen on the model. The fluted cuffs complement the full midi length skirt and I imagine the slit goes up to knee. The dress looks romantic and dreamy with the line of covered buttons up the thigh.

Okay, but Kate changed it up to wear to Family Action and here are my thoughts about the modifications:

– Yes, the lovely fluted sleeves would need to go in order to present this as business wear.

– Unfortunately, the black belt Kate added to the Yahvi Midi Dress eliminates the fluid line of buttons that run from waist to knee. The belt is so predominant that the button element is severely minimized.

What I don’t get is if you have a dress custom made and want to wear a belt w it why wouldn’t you have belt loops added? I hate random belts- they are supposed to have a purpose.
I also am tired of shoes and bags that are the same color but don’t match. All the shades and tones that are different are distracting. I’d have loved to have seen navy shoes and bags w this green dress.
But gosh is her hair gorgeous! She looks beautiful and happy!!

Great cause and organisation! I find the outfit very boring as she wears these dresses all the time now. Belt is too large and bag is so unexciting, I wish there could be a pattern in either the shoes or the bag, this would make it better. Her hair is goals!

This is a huge win in my book. She looks gorgeous and lovely, but it seems she really made an effort to have her clothes NOT be the focus of this visit. There is no one thing that stands out.
However, she’s gotten every bit of it so right that the look is far from boring. I absolutely love this belt, and the contrast in texture with the dress is fantastic. (Does she have this belt in burgundy, and did she wear it with over a burgundy Hobbs coat to go to church at Sandringham once, with a glamorous faux fur at the collar? I think she may have been carrying a younger Charlotte in the pics of that day).
I’m also liking the detail down the side of the dress, and the real subtlety of the shoes and clutch. Kate did a great job of giving this event the professionalism it deserved, both in dress and demeanor.

Not much to comment on, it is like the 10th monotone plain dress she’s worn since November. Not much design to it. Just as usual either Kate or whomever her stylist is, can not accessorize. That olive/sage bag & shoes don’t go and not much jewelry to style it up.

Thanks for your wonderful commentary! I personally love this dress. But, even more, I wonder if anyone has a lead on the striped skirt in different shades of blue worn by the woman who greeted HRH as she got out of the car? That skirt is fabulous!

Love this dress, but definitely wouldn’t put that belt with it. It ruins the lines for me. I would love to see more sophisticated earrings as well. Overall a big win though. I could see many women wearing that dress – even the DoS, though she’d certainly style it differently.

I think she did this right. She is dressed perfectly for a serious cause. We are always looking for glamour, but I don’t think this is a time for glamour. She looks lovely and is really glowing. She seems to have lost the tired look she sometimes had after the birth of young Louis. I think she is dressed just right for a working meeting with just enough sparkle for a Royal family member. Kudos to Kate!

I think she looks great. I think the changes made to the original design – and the styling – were perfect today. And I am a frequent critic of the changes she – or her stylist – have made to other designers, esp McQueen. But here she took what was originally a very feminine “party” dress, and turned it into a more “business” look but getting rid of those fluted sleeves (a very 80s touch which she eliminated) and adding a croc belt which defines and structures the dress. I’m not a fan of mid calf length dresses – on me – but I’m not the Duchess’ weight and height. The flow of this kind of skirt on her is gorgeous. Think the earrings were the best choice – with her hair done and the two neckline pleats, a necklace would have been wrong. Liked the suede accessories – season perfect and not too flashy. Croc bag and shoes would have been flashy and very, very 80s, although I don’t really care what decade a look references as long as it works.

I really want to like this look–the dress is gorgeous and is a wonderful color on Kate–but I think that the accessories kind of kill it for me. This has the same main flaw as last month’s LK Bennett, with the khaki suede shoes and clutch appearing faded and dirty against the darker, bluer green of the dress. I do like the idea of the belt, but this one comes across as clunky and dated and doesn’t complement the dress’s delicate detailing well. I don’t have a particularly strong opinion on the sleeves, but am a bit surprised that Kate got rid of the flare, as she generally seems to like that sort of detail. I would love to see a repeat of this with sleeker, glossier, black accessories or a statement shoe. Sartorial nitpicking aside, Kate looks so beautiful and in her element here, and this seems like a wonderful project for her to be involved with.

Does anybody on here know if organizations planning to give flowers to a female royal are notified of the colour that she’ll be wearing? The flowers always seem to match so well! I know that those sorts of things are carefully planned for formal events, but I’m very curious as to the procedure surrounding more informal or run-of-the-mill events.

Ellis, I have long wondered the very same thing re: flowers matching the royal’s ensemble so perfectly!

The flowers presented always seem to coordinated and complement the royal’s attire. I think if it’s an ‘official presentation’ some coordination probably transpires. I doubt we’ll ever know for certain, but in my imagination, the florists get tipped off on the color scheme ahead of time.

Today’s flowers were very lovely. Though truth be told, any bouquet would match a solid green dress without any planning 🙂

I like everything about this–from the color and length of the dress to the accessories. This is one of my favorite shades to wear.
While I don’t always like the modifications that are made to dresses, I do like the change in the sleeves on this one–the straight rather than puffed sleeves, particular combined with the belt, help create a professional look with this dress.
Thanks to the admins for the details on this charity effort–what a worthwhile endeavor!

The DoC looks beautiful in this dress. I like that she got rid of the flute sleeves and added the belt. The off-center line of buttons on the skirt added texture…it almost looked like a cool ruched trim at first. I think the shoes and bag work really great with this outfit. The earrings are gorgeous as well. She looked perfectly put together for this occasion.
I’m thrilled to see Kate champion mental health issues as it’s far too taboo a subject but affects everyone at some point in their lives. She’s such a wise person to start the think tank and realize good mental health always begins at birth and even before. Way to go Kate!!

Love the color and design. I think the flouncy sleeves were changed because they can get in the way of shaking hands and interacting. I like the belt and the braid design down the side. Green is a beautiful color on her.

I am sorry to say but in my opinion this dress is a huge miss. Looks nothing like the original dress – without the bell sleeves and worn with this belt it is terribly towdy, something that a much older person would wear. The dress is too long and looks like something worn in the 80s. The suede shoes look untidy – I do not think those are actually dirty, they just do not photograph well.

Perfection! Kate looks absolutely amazing in green; it is her best colour for sure. I love the button detail, and yes, I agree losing the frilled cuffs was a good idea. Her hair also looks lovely, although I will probably always miss the extra length…makes sense to have a shorter style with 3 young ones to care for though.

I’m indifferent about this dress, except to say that it’s very “Duchess of Cambridge”. I’d have kept the flutter sleeves, and while I’m a fan of Gianvito Rossi, would’ve chosen a different style pump (more business, less dainty and stiletto). Heels and a bag in embossed leather, like the belt, would’ve looked quite nice, but this outfit is fine. It’s classic Kate.

Solid choice. It’s nicely cut and a very good color on her. In that it reminds me of the lavender Wickstead that she has worn several times. Here, I appreciate the detail on the sleeves and collar, though I’m on the fence about the buttons. I do think it was a good call to lose the fluted sleeves.

Accessories–hey–nothing to get too excited about here one way or the other. I don’t particularly like the belt with this look; if a belt was called for, I think one in the same fabric as the dress would have looked more elegant. The shoes and bag are fine; I don’t mind that they are not an exact color match for the dress. But the bouquet was gorgeous!

I think I appreciated the croc texture of the belt against plain fabric rather than having more of the same. It’s a belt we’ve seen a couple of times before though I think less successfully on earlier outfits. I was rather glad to think Kate had now found an outfit on which it looked at home.

I’m glad you remembered the Wickstead, a handy comparison, and one which of course bears you out on the matter of omitting a belt!

I was hoping we might get a new dress today, and Kate didn’t disappoint. Even better we have the rarity of a dress I like from Beulah, their designs reminding me too much of the unlamented 1980s. Kate has customised successfully by taking out those floppy flared sleeves and replacing them with a plain edge and button detail. I love the slightly gathered puff of the sleeves at shoulder, giving added but subtle definition.

Such simple elegance overall is textbook Kate and the off-centre button detailing is as inspired as it is reserved. She just so suits the flowing fabric of a full skirt from a slim fitted torso, it blends like magic with her athletic grace in movement. The skirt is a great length and the colour gorgeous on her. Accessories are all on point, including the belt which helps save the whole from blandness, with its touch of a businesslike vibe. A win for me.

Have tried the quoted J Crew discount and it don’t appear to be working, maybe US only? But am still interested enough to think about taking them up on a back order for later this month. Their minions must be slaving away somewhere to catch up with the Kate Effect 🙂

This dress is a lovely, classic addition to Kate’s working wardrobe. I’m glad she eliminated the flounces from the sleeves. Although the belt looks fine, I would have eliminated it and instead worn a substantial, gold, chain necklace. The sage shoes and purse go with this dress much better than they did, when they were recently paired with a green dress in another shade.

The cause today is very important and it is good that Kate has helped to raise awareness.

I think that, while I like this color on her, the dress is painfully boring and the olive accessories do not go at all. This is another example of how styling could have elevated a boring look but bad styling dragged it down further. Interesting shoes would have bumped this look up a notch.

On a positive note, since her last maternity leave, she looks far more engaged and confident at these appearances. I just wish her clothes would reflect that!

I’m glad to see a new Beulah London dress, this is a brand I always love to see on The Duchess. I love the colour and the shape of the dress, it suits her very well. I think I would like it even more without the belt, but we all know Kate is fond of belts! I like the shoes and clutch too. I think we can also say it was a great hair day… As usual Catherine was glowing.
Just one last thought, why doesn’t she wear coats when she is outside! I mean it’s january and Britain isn’t famous for its high temperatures at this time of the year!!

I was happy with the belt, the plain dresses look unfinished to me. I suppose with belt, shortened slit, and slimmed-down sleeves she has turned the original into more of a classic shirt-waister, and that might count as a miss in fashion-exploration terms.

I looovvee this! Of course anytime Kate wears green it makes me happy! Its such a pretty color on her and Im really liking the monochromatic look. I want to try it myself..
I think omitting the flared sleeve was a good choice. That extra fabric would have been annoying when shaking hands and such or trying to do some type of activity.. and she’ll get more mileage out of this dress in the years to come due to its classic silhouette. I like the addition of the belt, with or without it the dress would have looked nice. I hope we see these green shoes again.
Thanks for another great post!

First of all the important part of the story eg the charity, what wonderful and tireless work they do. It seems that most times the charities play second fiddle in some of the media stories about the royals.
Love the dress, looks elegant and corporate and the style is so on trend. The skirt drap is gorgeous and moves so we well.

I like the sleeve straight, it gives the dress a more business look. She may not always know what her visits will include so better safe than sorry. I’m not a huge fan of the belt but I think if she didn’t have a belt she would need a broach and that would not be appropriate. She looks (always does) lovely and more important appropriate for the visit.

Kate looks effortlessly engrossed in one of her passionate causes in this beautiful dress. The copper shades in her hair work well with the green color, and the style is magnificent on her long lean figure. I would have preferred it a tad shorter but the buttons and belt add some interest. I was a big fan of those sleeves when they came out but tried a blouse in them and can attest that it would have been too fussy and distracting for her to have carried out an engagement in them. Plus, as we know, Kate leans more towards the classic and this dress will remain an elegant working option for her.

Sigh . . . those shoes and clutch just read drab. How about her Tod’s fringed heels (in that case take away the belt). I am grateful to have a break from the Asprey earrings and think these are a lovely choice. Overall a win and I am always happy when there is a day we can see Kate out and about!

Although not eye-catching, I like this dress very much. I think the Duchess did very well to have the sleeves modified as she did; I do not care for flounces or flared sleeves and the simple button cuffs are classic. I also like her choice of earrings. The only stylistic choices I would have done differently is to coordinate her dress with (as opposed to match) shoes and bag, a beautiful rust or cognac would go well with this sage/military green. Even black accessories would look more striking than the nearly perfectly matched colors that she chose. Other than that, I give very high marks for this ensemble! Lovely ensemble that is both appropriate and ladylike.

First, I have been loving the fab four out and supporting the projects they are really passionate about. It feels like they have each come into their own.

Love today’s look! Great color on Kate and I love the sleek style.The little buttons down the skirt are such lovely subtle detail that keep the dress from just being plain. SO glad she went with the tailored sleeve rather than the fluted sleeve and I actually think the belt is a nice touch. I also like this length of skirt on Kate. The skirt length was my quibble on the ODL magenta suit from a few days ago. I love a flair skirt, and thought the color was great, but did not find the length flattering for her height. It just made odd proportions. But I love this midi length skirt, it makes her look so tall and elegant. I’m going to mark today and as an overall win!

I really like this dress. I think the original sleeves would have been great, but she’ll get more wear out of this dress without the sleeves. (They’re very trendy in the US right now, but I’m sure the trend will fade, and I’ll donate my tops that have them!)

I think it would’ve been okay without the belt, but we know how much Kate loves her belts! Overall a great look for the Duchess!

The one thing I recall clearly about fluted and bell sleeves is the inevitability of their always landing in the soup. And one never quite knows when one is going to find oneself confronted with an unexpected bowl of soup in this life, or so I have found to my cost…Slim cuffs rule 😉

Fluted sleeves are not practical when one is engaged in any hands-on activity. I have a lovely sweater with fluted sleeves that my children gave me. I have worn it once to school where my colleagues and students raved about it. However, I found the sleeves flopped about as I tried to write on the board or do computer work. Best worn when nothing is expected of one.

The outfit today, as modified, was a hit. I think it will be seen again with different shoes and belt or perhaps sans belt. Perhaps even with a jacket.

The Duchess looks lovely in this dress, very elegant. Love this outfit, the colour suits her perfectly. I prefer her outline as opposed to the models sleeve. Her accessories a yes for me, personally I love her colour combination. She is really starting to come into her own now, confident, able to hold her own, she is doing well. Bless her

I’m curious about the placement of Kate’s clutch. In the sixth photo, while talking to the two women, it looks like the clutch is behind the chair, on the floor/carpet. Do we think Kate just casually dropped it there, and then somehow gracefully picked it up afterwards? I wouldn’t put my clutch on the floor unless I really had to, so I’m just curious as to why she would, haha. In some of the other photos she seems to have put it on the table. I thought that maybe someone would hold it for her?

Anyway, this outfit was a win for me. The color is my favorite and seems perfect for this time of the year, just like the length and fabric of the dress. I’d like to see this dress again!

I noticed the clutch on the floor too! It’s such a mystery- how did it get back there? Did she pick it up after? It’s not in any other photos, maybe she forgot it. Can you imagine the phone call? “Hi, it’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, I was there earlier today and I think I forgot my purse. It’s green and described in exquisite detail on whatkatewore.com. If someone finds it, can you give me a call? Thanks, bye”.

She often puts it behind her, but that’s usually with chairs/seats that have a back. It’s possible that’s what happened today, perhaps she wasn’t paying attention and thought the chair had a back. I’ll confess to putting mine on the floor occasionally when it shouldn’t be on my lap and there’s nowhere else to go with it.

What a wonderful support HRH has brought to this much needed issue!
I loved her dress, although I think it could have been a tad shorter. The sleeves on this version is much improved. The down the side buttons are great and add style to what could have been a very “plain jane” dress. Her hair, make up and accessories were all great. A total win for me.

Love this look overall, it’s so classic Kate. The dress is splendid, fits her well and is flattering to her style, plus appears comfortable. I actually DO like the fluted sleeves on the designer dress, but I think the plain version looks nice too. I almost always love Kate’s outfits, but I am often confused by her choice of accessories. The shoes, the clutch and belt here don’t appear to me to match the dress! But whatever. Kate always exudes such confidence and class, and she fulfills her duties with such joy and enthusiasm, a shade here or there is hardly to be noticed. I will always be a fan!

I thought the clutch and shoes were just near enough a neutral-looking khaki tone for Kate to get away with using them here. It’s always a dangerous game, of course, to mix your greens, they are notoriously hard to match. I must admit I wouldn’t even try but go for contrast of some sort, even if not a loud one.

A stellar dress that is impeccably tailored. (Don’t love the belt, but that’s a minor quibble)
I really am enjoying this midi length that is fashionable right now. I have long favored this length in skirts and dresses. It seems so classic and elegant.

Long time reader (over 8 years!), but first time commentator here. This cause is extremely dear to me, as someone who has suffered intense post-partum depression (and repeated episodes of depression due to having nine chronic illnesses). There is a hotline of this nature in Holland where parents can call during evenings and weekends to get information about how to handle sudden issues with their children. It was a great blessing! I’m truly impressed with how the Duchess has quietly thrown her weight behind placing mental health on the nation’s agenda. She is literally looking out for her country’s future and that is something that most people don’t realize needs to be done.

The dress is absolutely gorgeous. Although the variations appear to be minor structurally, it looks like a different dress altogether from some angles. I have these shoes and clutch from L.K. Bennett and must say the shoes are absolutely comfortable even for long stretches in a courtroom!

Thank you, Susan, for your wonderful, respectful and consistent coverage of, not just the Duchess’s wardrobe but also her causes. You have built such a supportive community here, which is very rare these days in the virtual world. You should truly be proud! Personally, I’ve used this website so many times to update my wardrobe and it is never wrong! 🙂

Welcome aboard Renuka, lovely to hear from you. It’s great to have your first-hand insight both into the cause Kate is supporting and to the comfort of those courts. And I definitely agree with you about the quality of this community, amazing really given the one thing we share is curiosity about exactly what our lovely Duchess is wearing.

Hello Ranuka and thank you for YOUR input into today’s activities. Cudos to you for reaching out to a guiding light during some dark times.

It appears Family Action colors have green in them……hence the nod on DoC color choice?

This site is a haven….I so agree with you and ElizaMo – clothes and Susan bring us together – and we can then be stronger together with information regarding causes which impact our lives. Perhaps look better, too. I will be wearing a kilt, black sweater, black tights to a Bobbie Burns event on Friday…thank you DoC for your December with the snow event and ensemble 😉

I’m glad she got rid of the fluted sleeves. Unique as they may be, they are a huge hassle… they drag on tables and counters especially when they are at the wrist rather than elbow!
The belt is an interesting touch (I think the dress looks great with or without it) and the accessories match “well enough.” I am personally not a fan of mixing shades of the same colour… if I wore a green dress, I would wear nude heels and carry a nude clutch rather than attempt to find a shade of green that goes with, but her choice worked out fairly well IMO.

Haha! I don’t like the mixed greens myself. (Sounds like a salad!) I just don’t think the shades complement each other. So the bag looks muddy. Anyway, Kate looks great. Fabulous dress. I like her sleeves better than the original. The style suits her perfectly.

I like Kate’s version of this dress much better than the original. I really dislike “floppy” sleeves. They aren’t flattering and they get in the way. The Duchess looks wonderful. The dress is very professional and is perfect for the occasion.

First, KM looks stunning. Her version of the dress is vastly superior IMHO. She cleaned up the sloppy sleeves, and dirndl skirt. KM’s version is sleek and classic. Her hair looks great, I love the caramel highlights. The earrings are a favorite of mine. Footwear and hose are perfection.

For the first time I paid attention to what she was doing. KM should be an inspiration to all kinds of first-type ladies. (I have no one in mind). The fact that she has persevered in service to a cause she believes in differing but effective ways speaks volumes about her.

Brains, beauty, and purpose is a powerful combination. The British people are lucky to have her.

The Duchess looks wonderful today. I like that she added a belt but wonder why she removed the fluted sleeves, the were such an interesting touch.
Hopefully she bought this dress in several different colors, it suits her to a T and is so classically elegant and functional.